Without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to have to rely on other players to step up in place of their two leading scorers. Of course, LeBron James will be ready, and both Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard have playoff experience and have shown the ability to create, but head coach JJ Redick will also have to turn to others who haven’t been in the rotation regularly this season.
One of those players could be Bronny James, who has found himself getting regular minutes over the past couple of weeks and has handled himself well. And with the Lakers set to begin their first-round series against the Houston Rockets, Redick says he trusts in James and that the young guard needs to be ready.
“We’re gonna have to have all hands on deck for the series. He’s got to be ready,” Redick said after practice on Wednesday. “Nick [Smith Jr.] will have to be ready. I think Bronny’s improved a lot. I think we trust him. The shooting piece, I’m a believer in, because of how well he shot it in the last two years in the G League. “I know there was a stretch recently where he didn’t shoot it well and of course, he had a nice shooting game against Utah. He’s improved a ton defensively in terms of his body positioning, both on and off ball. We want him to continue to evolve as a disruptive defender as well.”
James and Nick Smith Jr. are the two guards off the bench most likely to get a look in this series and they each bring something different to the table. James is more of a defensive weapon, but as Redick noted, he has shot the ball better as of late, knocking down 42.9% from 3-point range in six games in April. He also shot 45.6% from deep in 13 games in the G League on five attempts per game so if he can be a reliable shooter, he can have an impact on this series.
But as Redick said, the important thing is that James stays ready for when his number is called. The postseason is a different animal than the regular season and the bright lights can be too much for young players getting their first real taste. Even though rotations get tighter, he will get the opportunity to prove he can contribute when it matters most.
JJ Redick discusses his growth in second season as Lakers coach
Redick has proven himself to be an excellent NBA coach in his two season in charge of the Lakers and he recently discussed his growth in the profession through his first two years on the job.
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